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Situational AnxietyNCT06463145

Study of the Anxiolytic Effects of Aframomum Seed Extract in Elderly People

A study testing Vanizem in people with Situational Anxiety, run by Nektium Pharma SL at 1 site in Spain.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to evaluate if one specific botanical extract from Grains of Paradise works to induce anxiolytic effect in adult people in stress or anxiety situations It will also learn about the extract's positive effects on sleep and mood. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 40 to 50 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Situational Anxiety
What is being tested?
Vanizem
Type of treatment
Pill or oral medicine
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
37 participants
Where
1 siteSpain
Study dates
1 Mar 2023to 20 May 2023
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 40 to 50 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Male or female between 40 and 50 year of age;
  • Healthy people with moderate anxiety: HAM-A score in a range between 18 and 24;
  • Subject able and willing to participate to the study by complying with the protocol procedures as confirmed by his dated and signed informed consent form;

Who cannot join

  • Score greater than 20 points on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS);
  • Receiving medical treatment for anxiety, stress or depression;
  • Drugs and alcohol dependence;
  • Serious personality disorders that may interfere with participation in the study (psychosis, intense suicidal ideation, etc.);
  • In the case of women, having the intention of becoming pregnant;
  • Epileptic disorders;
Show all 9Show fewer
  • Liver disorders (cirrhosis, hepatitis, etc.);
  • Professional athletes or those who frequently engage in extreme physical activities;
  • Impossibility of completing the intervention period due to external factors;

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Spain1 site
  • Kinetic perfomance SL

    Alicante, 3005

Other trials in Spain

About this study

Official title: Effects of a Plant Extract Modulating the Endocannabinoid System and Its Anxiolytic Capacity on Elderly People in Situations of Stress or Anxiety

The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to evaluate if one specific botanical extract from Grains of Paradise works to induce anxiolytic effect in adult people in stress or anxiety situations It will also learn about the extract's positive effects on sleep and mood. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does botanical extract exert an anxiolytic effect on the participants under stress or anxiety circumstances? Does botanical extract promote positive effects on Mood and nocturnal sleep? Does botanical extract influence body parameters like Blood pressure, inflammatory indicators or stress hormones? Researchers will compare tree doses of botanical extract (50,100 or 150mg) to a placebo (a look-alike substance that contains no herbal product) to see if herbal extract support anxiolytic effect.

Read more

Participants will:

Take herbal extract or a placebo daily for 3 days. Visit the clinic two times: at the start of the study (day0) and to the end of the study (Day +2)for checkups and tests.

Keep a diary with questions about their activities, daily foods and physicals perceptions.

Read the detailed description

The present randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial aims to evaluate the effects of standardized aframomum melegueta seed extract (AME) supplementation on anxiety, mood and sleep quality in healthy men and women experiencing anxious situations. A total of 37 participants were randomly assigned to either AME-first groups or placebo-first group; participants were taken 50, 100 or 150 mg of either AME or matched placebo peels daily for three days. This period is followed by a 1 week washout period at the beginning of which all participants will stop the assigned intervention. After this washout the participants will start their crossover intervention. All Participants were instructed to follow a standardized training program throughout the study, including washout periods to maintain uniformity in physical activity and reduce the effect that exercise can have on stress management. The effects of supplement AME doses compared with a placebo, were evaluated using measures to assess anxiety [The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A)], mood [Adapted Profile Mood State (POMS)], sleep quality [Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (LSEQ) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)]. In addition, some physiological (Blood pressure and heart rate variability), biochemical (minerals, hepatic enzymes and inflammatory biomarkers) and hematological variables (Complete cell count) were determined. Testing was completed at the beginning (Day0) and at the end (Day2) of the supplementation periods with the extract and placebo products to assess acute effects following 3 days of daily use.

Being tested
Vanizem, Placebo
Keywords
Anxiety, Aframomum melegueta seed, Herbal extract, FAAH inhibitor, Quality sleep, Grains of paradise
Medical subject headings
Anxiety Disorders, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • VanizemDietary supplement

    Aframomum melegueta seed extract standardized to 10% of total Vanilloid and at least 1.5% of 6-paradol

  • PlaceboDietary supplement

    Food grade Maltodextrin 12

Study groups in NCT06463145
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
PlaceboPlacebo comparatorPill of Food grade Maltodextrin 12 . Once daily for three days.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Placebo
Vanizem 50mgExperimentalPill of Aframomum melegueta extract 50 mg with Food grade Maltodextrin 12 . Once daily for three days.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Vanizem
Vanizem 100mgExperimentalPill of Aframomum melegueta extract 100 mg with Food grade Maltodextrin 12 . Once daily for three days.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Vanizem
Vanizem 150mgExperimentalPill of Aframomum melegueta extract 150 mg with Food grade Maltodextrin 12 . Once daily for three days.
Receives: Dietary Supplement: Vanizem

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) score

    Change in HAM-A score for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group. 14-items questionnaire reflecting 13 categories of anxiety-related symptom to measure anxiety.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)

Secondary outcomes (12)
  1. Change in Profile of Mood States (POMS) score

    Change in POMS score for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group. 65-items to evaluate short-term emotional states and represent six subscales assessing tension-anxiety, depression, anger-hostility, fatigue, confusion-bewilderment, and vigor-activity.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)

  2. Change in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score

    Change in PSQI score for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group. 24-items measuring seven dimensions that can be broadly categorized into sleep efficiency factors (sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, and habitual sleep efficiency) and sleep disturbance factors (sleep disturbance, use of sleep medications, and daytime disturbance).

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)

  3. Change in Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire (LSEQ) score. 10-items evaluating four domains: ease of initiating sleep, quality of sleep, ease of waking, and behavior following wakefulness.

    Change in LSEQ score for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 1+ and day 2+)

  4. Change in Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

    Change HRV score for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group. Heart rate variability measured as interbeat intervals (ms) has been collected with POLAR H10+ heart rate bands during sleeping hours.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 1+ and day 2+)

  5. Change in blood pressure score

    Change in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)

  6. Change in blood cells count

    Changes in a neutrophils, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, basophil, platelet and red blood cell counts (Cells/mcL) for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)

  7. Change in blood minerals levels

    Changes in Magnesium (mmol/L) and Zinc (mcmol/L) levels for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)

  8. Change in blood electrolyte levels

    Changes in Sodium and Chloride levels (mEq/L) for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)

  9. Change in serum hepatic enzymes

    Changes in gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) levels (IU/L) for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)

  10. Change proinflammatory serum biomarkers

    Changes in interleukin-1, interleukin-6, interleukin-8 and tumour necrosis factor alpha levels (pg/mL) for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)

  11. Change in protein serum biomarker of inflammation

    Changes in c-reactive protein levels (mg/L) for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)

  12. Change in serum biomarker of stress

    Changes in cortisol (mcg/dL) levels for Vanizem group compared to placebo control group.

    Measured: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Jun 2024
  2. Study start1 Mar 2023
  3. Primary completion12 Apr 2023
  4. Study completion20 May 2023

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
Quadruple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
37 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06463145
Sponsor's protocol ID
AME_HCT_2023
Status last verified
Jun 2024
First submitted
12 Jun 2024
Last updated
1 Jul 2024
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Umukoro S. and Aladeokin A. C., Therapeutic effects of grains of paradise (aframomum melegueta) seeds Nuts and Seeds in Health and Disease Prevention, 2011, Academic Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 535-543.

  • Ilic NM, Dey M, Poulev AA, Logendra S, Kuhn PE, Raskin I. Anti-inflammatory activity of grains of paradise (Aframomum melegueta Schum) extract. J Agric Food Chem. 2014 Oct 29;62(43):10452-7. doi: 10.1021/jf5026086. Epub 2014 Oct 20.

    PubMed 25293633
  • Ogwu, M.C., Dunkwu-Okafor, A., Omakor, I.A., Izah, S.C. (2024). Medicinal Spice, Aframomum melegueta: An Overview of the Phytochemical Constituents, Nutritional Characteristics, and Ethnomedicinal Values for Sustainability. In: Izah, S.C., Ogwu, M.C., Akram, M. (eds) Herbal Medicine Phytochemistry. Reference Series in Phytochemistry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-21973-3_72-1

  • Umukoro S, Ashorobi RB. Further studies on the antinociceptive action of aqueous seed extract of Aframomum melegueta. J Ethnopharmacol. 2007 Feb 12;109(3):501-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2006.08.025. Epub 2006 Sep 3.

    PubMed 17023130
  • Ford JL, Ildefonso K, Jones ML, Arvinen-Barrow M. Sport-related anxiety: current insights. Open Access J Sports Med. 2017 Oct 27;8:205-212. doi: 10.2147/OAJSM.S125845. eCollection 2017.

    PubMed 29138604
  • Halson SL, Juliff LE. Sleep, sport, and the brain. Prog Brain Res. 2017;234:13-31. doi: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2017.06.006. Epub 2017 Jul 17.

    PubMed 29031461
  • Patel S, Hill MN, Cheer JF, Wotjak CT, Holmes A. The endocannabinoid system as a target for novel anxiolytic drugs. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017 May;76(Pt A):56-66. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.033.

    PubMed 28434588
  • Batista LA, Gobira PH, Viana TG, Aguiar DC, Moreira FA. Inhibition of endocannabinoid neuronal uptake and hydrolysis as strategies for developing anxiolytic drugs. Behav Pharmacol. 2014 Sep;25(5-6):425-33. doi: 10.1097/FBP.0000000000000073.

    PubMed 25083569

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Vanizem in people with Situational Anxiety, run by Nektium Pharma SL at 1 site in Spain.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Jul 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Spain. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) score (time frame: At baseline (day 0) and after intake period (day 2+)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06463145, which also lists 8 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Jul 2024.

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